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BQ Aquaris X Smartphone Review

Bright, brighter, BQ Aquaris X. The mid-range smartphone produced by the Spanish smartphone manufacturer BQ has a captivatingly bright display - so bright, even, that it made the Top 5 of our list of brightest smartphone displays. Find out how the other features of the Aquaris X compare in our review.

For the original German review, click here.

With its X series, the smartphone label BQ, that has its headquarters in Las Rozas de Madrid, Spain, has aimed to revolutionize the concept of photography in the mid-range smartphone segment. Not too long ago, the Pro version of the BQ Aquaris X scored quite good results in our test run - both in general performance and for its camera quality. As there are not many technical differences between the two models our expectations were quite high for the 100€ (~$117) cheaper mid-range model with a recommended retail price of 300€ (~$352). The manufacturer only cites prices in Euros on its website, but offers international shipment, including to the US and UK. 

Apart from a Qualcomm octa-core processor, 3 GB of RAM and a 16-MP camera with Sony EXMOR sensor, the Aquaris X is equipped with a 5.3-inch IPS panel, a fingerprint sensor as well as 32 GB of storage. Storage can also be expanded via an SD card - or if not, the slot can also be used for a second SIM card.

Possible competitors of the mid-range smartphone that we have chosen to be our comparison devices for this review are the Lenovo Moto Z Play, the Nokia 6, the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017), the Motorola Moto G5 as well as the Huawei P10 Lite. Due to the low difference in price between the two BQ smartphones, we have also decided to compare the Aquaris X to its sister version, the BQ Aquaris X Pro

BQ Aquaris X (Aquaris Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 8 x 2.2 GHz, Cortex-A53, Qualcomm MSM8953-Pro Snapdragon 626
Graphics adapter
Memory
3 GB 
Display
5.20 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 424 PPI, capacitive, multi-touch, LCD, LTPS IPS , In-Cell Dinorex glas (NEG), glossy: yes
Storage
32 GB eMMC Flash, 32 GB 
, 24 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio jack, Card Reader: microSD cards up to 256 GB , 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: proximity sensor, accellerometer, eCompass, gyroskope, Hall Sensor, OTG, Miracast, customizable status LED, protected from dust and water spray (IP52)
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, 4G (LTE) FDD (800/1800/2100/2600) - (B20/B3/B1/B7) 3G HSPA+ (850 / 900/ 1900 / 2100) (B5 / B8 / B2 / B1) 2G GSM (850/900/1800/1900), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 7.9 x 146.5 x 72.7 ( = 0.31 x 5.77 x 2.86 in)
Battery
3100 mAh Lithium-Ion, Qualcomm Quick Charge 3.0
Operating System
Android 7.1 Nougat
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix Sony iMX298, 16 MP, aperture ƒ/2.0, 1.12 µm/pixel, 6 Largan lenses, Dual Tone flash, phase-detection autofocus (PDAF) video resolution of 4K@30fps, video stabilization (Vidhance), slow-motion recording (720p@120fps) and time lapse, automatic HDR functio
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix Samsung S5K4H8YX, 8 MP, aperture ƒ/2.0, 1.12 µm/pixel, 3 lenses, flash, video resolution of 1080p@60fps, Face Beauty, Selfie indicator
Additional features
Speakers: mono speaker, Keyboard: onscreen, Keyboard Light: yes, USB Type-C 2.0 to USB cable, Qualcomm® Quick Charge™ 3.0 adapter, information leaflets, BQ OS, 24 Months Warranty, SAR values:0.428 W/Kg (10 g) during telephone calls; 1.360 W/Kg (10 g) when carrying it around in a pocket, fanless
Weight
153 g ( = 5.4 oz / 0.34 pounds), Power Supply: 45 g ( = 1.59 oz / 0.1 pounds)
Price
299 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The case of the BQ Aquaris X has the IP 52 standard, which means it is dust and dripping water protected. It is available in Mineral Black and Pearl Rose (white) and is quite compact at 146.5 x 72.7 mm (~57.6 x 2.8 in). The low weight of 153 grams (~5.4 oz) and its thickness of 7.9 mm (~0.3 in) mean it is very comfortable to hold.  

The 5.2-inch display is slightly curved (2.5 D). The bezels at the side are narrow; the top and bottom bezels rather wide in comparison, which is reflected in the display-to-surface ratio of 70%.

Considering this is a mid-range device, we were not quite sure what to think of the choice of materials for the BQ Aquaris X. The buttons for volume control and power-on are firmly set into the case and have clear pressure points. The workmanship and stability of the case are also good. But unlike its sister model, the Aquaris X only has a plastic back cover, which is not quite the quality we would have hoped for from a mid-range device. 

Size Comparison

156.4 mm / 6.16 inch 76.4 mm / 3.01 inch 7 mm / 0.2756 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs154 mm / 6.06 inch 75.8 mm / 2.98 inch 8.4 mm / 0.3307 inch 169 g0.3726 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 72.7 mm / 2.86 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 153 g0.3373 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 72.7 mm / 2.86 inch 7.8 mm / 0.3071 inch 158 g0.3483 lbs146.1 mm / 5.75 inch 71.4 mm / 2.81 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 159 g0.3505 lbs144.3 mm / 5.68 inch 73 mm / 2.87 inch 9.5 mm / 0.374 inch 144.5 g0.3186 lbs146.5 mm / 5.77 inch 72 mm / 2.83 inch 7.2 mm / 0.2835 inch 146 g0.3219 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The built-in eMMC storage is 32 GB large and offers about 24.2 GB for free use after the device is first set-up. Storage can be expanded to up to 256 GB via the SD card, which can also be formatted to act as internal storage.

The USB Type-C port with USB 2.0 is positioned at the bottom of the device and does not only charge the smartphone and support data transfer to the computer, it also supports OTG (On-The-Go). This means that peripheral devices can be connected to the smartphone via an OTG adapter.

The smartphone also has an ambient display, a fingerprint sensor that unlocks the screen, an LED that indicates notifications as well as the classic 3.5-inch audio jack. Wireless transfer of display content is also supported and worked very well in our test with a Sony Android TV.  

Software

BQ has decided to equip its mid-range smartphone with Android Version 7.1 Nougat, but it has already been announced that the operating system will receive an update to the new Android 8.0 Oreo. The manufacturer has also promised to supply the Aquaris X with Android Security Patches every two months for two years after product launch (June 2017). At the time of testing, our device had a Security Patch dating from August 2017.

The interface is almost entirely standard Vanilla Android, which optically has hardly any differences to the Google User Interface. The Spanish manufacturer has also kept the pre-installed apps to a minimum - there is no bloatware on the Aquaris X.

Communication & GPS

BQ has equipped the Aquaris X with two Nano SIM slots, one of which can also optionally be used as a microSD card slot. The smartphone connects to mobile internet via LTE cat. 6, which theoretically has a maximum download rate of 300 MBit/s and an upload rate of 50 MBit/s.

Bluetooth 4.2 and Near-Field Communication (NFC) take care of wireless communication to other mobile devices.

The Wi-Fi module of the Aquaris X supports the IEEE 802.11 standards a/b/g/n/ac and works both on the 2.4 and 5.0 GHz band. It has a satisfying range - in immediate proximity to the router (Telekom Speedport, W921V) the damping factor is low at -35 dBm. The mid-range device had significantly higher speeds than the comparison devices in our Wi-Fi test - and was also faster than the Aquaris X Pro, which came as a bit of a surprise to us. Our measurements with the reference router Linksys EA8500 showed very good transfer rates both when sending and receiving data.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HTC U11
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
639 MBit/s +137%
BQ Aquaris X
Adreno 506, 626, 32 GB eMMC Flash
270 MBit/s
Huawei P10 Lite
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 658, 32 GB eMMC Flash
232 MBit/s -14%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Mali-T830 MP3, Exynos 7880, 32 GB eMMC Flash
167 MBit/s -38%
BQ Aquaris X Pro
Adreno 506, 626, 64 GB eMMC Flash
148 MBit/s -45%
Nokia 6
Adreno 505, 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
113 MBit/s -58%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
Adreno 506, 625, 32 GB eMMC Flash
112 MBit/s -59%
Lenovo Moto G5
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
110 MBit/s -59%
iperf3 receive AX12
HTC U11
Adreno 540, SD 835, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
394 MBit/s +18%
BQ Aquaris X
Adreno 506, 626, 32 GB eMMC Flash
333 MBit/s
BQ Aquaris X Pro
Adreno 506, 626, 64 GB eMMC Flash
242 MBit/s -27%
Huawei P10 Lite
Mali-T830 MP2, Kirin 658, 32 GB eMMC Flash
229 MBit/s -31%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Mali-T830 MP3, Exynos 7880, 32 GB eMMC Flash
214 MBit/s -36%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
Adreno 506, 625, 32 GB eMMC Flash
121 MBit/s -64%
Lenovo Moto G5
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
121 MBit/s -64%
Nokia 6
Adreno 505, 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
117 MBit/s -65%
GPS test outdoors
GPS test indoors

The BQ Aquaris X uses the GPS, Galileo and Glonass satellite networks for positioning. This works very quickly outdoors and the phone positioned us within 5 meters. The mid-range device could not locate us indoors, however.

We also measured accuracy by taking the phone on a 12-km (~7.5 miles) bicycle ride and compared the results to those of the professional navigation system Garmin Edge 500. At the end of the tour, there were only 10 meters (~10.9 yds) difference between the BQ smartphone and the Garmin Edge 500. This is a great value that even most high-end smartphones cannot reach. We noticed no faults when looking at the details of the recorded route. The Aquaris X is definitely very suitable for navigating both in the car and on the bike.

GPS BQ Aquaris X
GPS BQ Aquaris X
GPS BQ Aquaris X
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500

Telephone & Voice Quality

The quality of telephone calls and video calls via the Aquaris X's front camera is good. We could hear our call partner clearly without any interfering noises or interruptions.

Cameras

front camera
main camera

BQ has chosen the same back camera for this device as LG has for the G5. It has an aperture of f/2.0. The Sony CMOS sensor (IMX 298) has a resolution of 16 MP and can be supported by a Dual Tone flash in bad lighting conditions. The 5312 x 2988 pixels mean the images are high in detail. 

Photographs made with the Aquaris X have good color reproduction and a good white balance. In bright lighting, pictures are sharp and have high contrast with hardly any image noise. The dynamics of the photographs could be a little higher, though. 

The 16-MP camera reaches its limits in dark or very varying lighting conditions (shade/sun). In dark conditions, there is noticeable image noise and the pictures are less sharp. The lens simply does not take in sufficient light for good low-light performance and the pixels of the EXMOR image sensor are too small (1.12 µm) with no option for optical image stabilization (OIS).

The front camera also has a CMOS image sensor (Samsung S5K4H8YX) with an aperture of f/2.0, again supported by an LED flash. Pictures can be taken with a resolution of 8 MP, which is fine for a mid-range smartphone.

The Aquaris X records videos at a maximum resolution of 4K with 30 fps or in 1080p at 60 fps. It also supports 120 fps slow-motion recording in 720p. If you use the front camera, the quality is reduced to 1080p at 60 fps, but the quality is a lot better at 30 fps in Full HD.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories and Warranty

Duo Case
Hybrid Case
Hybrid Case

The device comes with a modular power supply that has a rated output of 18 watts (2 A, 9 V) as well as a USB cable. 

BQ also offers various covers and screen protectors.

The warranty period is 24 months. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Handling

The capacitive multi-touch screen of the Aquaris X was nice to handle during our test. It responded precisely and smoothly, supporting inputs with up to 10 fingers simultaneously. The fingerprint-resistant glass surface feels nice and enables smooth gliding. 

You can choose between using the capacitive keys below the display or the usual Android on-screen keys for navigation. The capacitive keys do not have backlighting.

The active fingerprint sensor on the back of the Aquaris X works quickly, although it takes a while for the screen to turn on after the biometric identification via fingerprint. It usually recognizes the fingerprint immediately, but occasionally you will have to reposition your finger on the sensor for it to work.

Display

subpixel array

The LC-based panel is equipped with LTPS (Low Temperature Poly Silicon) technology. The 5.2-inch screen has a resolution of 1080p and a pixel density of 424 ppi, which means that content can be displayed sharply. 

We measured luminance with the X-Rite i1Pro2 and the maximum brightness was 737 cd/m². The brightness distribution of the Aquaris X is very uniform at 91%. We measured almost no deviation in the practical APL50 test (Average Picture Level) with a maximum of 680 cd/m². With the adaptive ambient light sensor turned off, the IPS panel had a brightness of 486 cd/m².

685
cd/m²
672
cd/m²
734
cd/m²
720
cd/m²
675
cd/m²
737
cd/m²
707
cd/m²
674
cd/m²
710
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
LCD tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 737 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 701.6 cd/m² Minimum: 10.72 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 675 cd/m²
Contrast: 1144:1 (Black: 0.59 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.24
BQ Aquaris X
LTPS IPS , 1920x1080, 5.20
BQ Aquaris X Pro
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
Nokia 6
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Lenovo Moto G5
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.00
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
Super AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.20
Lenovo Moto Z Play
AMOLED, 1920x1080, 5.50
Huawei P10 Lite
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.20
HTC U11
Super LCD5, 2560x1440, 5.50
Screen
-32%
-8%
21%
29%
18%
1%
18%
Brightness middle
675
458
-32%
512
-24%
660
-2%
539
-20%
509
-25%
507
-25%
482
-29%
Brightness
702
473
-33%
501
-29%
625
-11%
542
-23%
511
-27%
509
-27%
472
-33%
Brightness Distribution
91
88
-3%
94
3%
92
1%
93
2%
93
2%
95
4%
90
-1%
Black Level *
0.59
0.51
14%
0.36
39%
0.29
51%
0.36
39%
0.33
44%
Contrast
1144
898
-22%
1422
24%
2276
99%
1408
23%
1461
28%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.5
7.1
-58%
6.4
-42%
4.9
-9%
1.6
64%
2.2
51%
5.1
-13%
3.2
29%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
9.1
14.5
-59%
10.9
-20%
7.6
16%
2.6
71%
5.8
36%
9
1%
5.4
41%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.4
10.5
-64%
7.2
-13%
4.8
25%
1.5
77%
2
69%
6.1
5%
2.2
66%
Gamma
2.24 98%
2.28 96%
2.28 96%
2.18 101%
2.28 96%
2.25 98%
2.28 96%
2.22 99%
CCT
7478 87%
8951 73%
7904 82%
7357 88%
6422 101%
6768 96%
8143 80%
6581 99%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Both the contrast ratio (1149:1) and the black value (0.59 cd/m²) are merely average for an IPS panel, but still good. The realistic APL50 test (Average Picture Level) measured the same black value with evenly distributed light and dark surfaces.

We did measure Delta E deviations in mixed colors and gray scales, but the values are still acceptable for a mid-range device. The gamma value is slightly elevated at 2.24 (ideal value: 2.2). 

The color temperature (7500 K) is significantly below the ideal value (6500 K), which makes colors appear cooler than they should. The color cast is noticeable in the gray scales, but is not bothersome during everyday use.

CalMAN color accuracy (sRGB)
CalMAN color space (sRGB)
CalMAN color saturation (sRGB)
CalMAN gray scales (sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
19.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 6.8 ms rise
↘ 12.8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 37 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
36.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 17.2 ms rise
↘ 19.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 46 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is similar to the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Thanks to the IPS panel, the liquid crystal display has very stable viewing angles. There is no color distortion even at very wide viewing angles. The display is easy to read outdoors even on sunny days and with the ambient light sensor turned off.

shade
shade
sun
sun
reflections
reflections
viewing...
viewing...
...angles
...angles
 

Performance

The Qualcomm Snapdragon 626 in the BQ smartphone is a mid-range SoC with eight processor cores of the ARM Cortex A53 architecture. The integrated Adreno 506 graphics unit also belongs to the middle range and offers support for modern APIs such as Vulkan or OpenGL ES 3.1.  

The system performance of the Aquaris X is very good thanks to the slim UI. However, there is some juddering and occasional lagging during everyday multitasking. As you can see from the benchmark results, the Snapdragon 626, combined with 3 GB of RAM, offers competitive performance which is a little better than that of the comparison devices. But the ARM Mali-T830 MP3 in the Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) does a little better at graphics-heavy computing.

AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
63428 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
66226 Points +4%
Nokia 6
47066 Points -26%
Lenovo Moto G5
44653 Points -30%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
60603 Points -4%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
61345 Points -3%
Huawei P10 Lite
60438 Points -5%
HTC U11
175032 Points +176%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
5792 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
5886 Points +2%
Nokia 6
4980 Points -14%
Lenovo Moto G5
4730 Points -18%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
5035 Points -13%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
6767 Points +17%
Huawei P10 Lite
5794 Points 0%
HTC U11
8295 Points +43%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
4891 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
4915 Points 0%
Nokia 6
3723 Points -24%
Lenovo Moto G5
3583 Points -27%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
4060 Points -17%
Huawei P10 Lite
4464 Points -9%
HTC U11
6828 Points +40%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
1333 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
1314 Points -1%
Nokia 6
307 Points -77%
Lenovo Moto G5
815 Points -39%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1408 Points +6%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
1019 Points -24%
Huawei P10 Lite
1229 Points -8%
HTC U11
3034 Points +128%
System (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
3551 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3492 Points -2%
Nokia 6
2135 Points -40%
Lenovo Moto G5
1656 Points -53%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
2593 Points -27%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
2069 Points -42%
Huawei P10 Lite
2642 Points -26%
HTC U11
5570 Points +57%
Memory (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
1039 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
1046 Points +1%
Nokia 6
587 Points -44%
Lenovo Moto G5
538 Points -48%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1508 Points +45%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
795 Points -23%
Huawei P10 Lite
1592 Points +53%
HTC U11
2085 Points +101%
Graphics (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
1014 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
1012 Points 0%
Nokia 6
731 Points -28%
Lenovo Moto G5
722 Points -29%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1528 Points +51%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
1013 Points 0%
Huawei P10 Lite
829 Points -18%
HTC U11
5976 Points +489%
Web (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
843 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
806 Points -4%
Nokia 6
10 Points -99%
Lenovo Moto G5
686 Points -19%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
659 Points -22%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
649 Points -23%
Huawei P10 Lite
654 Points -22%
HTC U11
1221 Points +45%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
929 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
928 Points 0%
Nokia 6
667 Points -28%
Lenovo Moto G5
619 Points -33%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
773 Points -17%
Huawei P10 Lite
913 Points -2%
HTC U11
1906 Points +105%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
4522 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
4369 Points -3%
Nokia 6
2844 Points -37%
Lenovo Moto G5
2563 Points -43%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
4104 Points -9%
Huawei P10 Lite
3460 Points -23%
HTC U11
6443 Points +42%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
14034 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
13963 Points -1%
Nokia 6
9457 Points -33%
Lenovo Moto G5
9494 Points -32%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13256 Points -6%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
13920 Points -1%
Huawei P10 Lite
11135 Points -21%
HTC U11
40014 Points +185%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
13330 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
13277 Points 0%
Nokia 6
9605 Points -28%
Lenovo Moto G5
9617 Points -28%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13314 Points 0%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
13437 Points +1%
Huawei P10 Lite
10603 Points -20%
HTC U11
55725 Points +318%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
17124 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
17044 Points 0%
Nokia 6
8973 Points -48%
Lenovo Moto G5
9089 Points -47%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
13057 Points -24%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
15923 Points -7%
Huawei P10 Lite
13510 Points -21%
HTC U11
20140 Points +18%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
849 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
849 Points 0%
Nokia 6
571 Points -33%
Lenovo Moto G5
572 Points -33%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1155 Points +36%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
827 Points -3%
Huawei P10 Lite
610 Points -28%
HTC U11
4744 Points +459%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
724 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
725 Points 0%
Nokia 6
495 Points -32%
Lenovo Moto G5
496 Points -31%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1053 Points +45%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
725 Points 0%
Huawei P10 Lite
520 Points -28%
HTC U11
5877 Points +712%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
2139 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
2127 Points -1%
Nokia 6
1238 Points -42%
Lenovo Moto G5
1243 Points -42%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1752 Points -18%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
1631 Points -24%
Huawei P10 Lite
1537 Points -28%
HTC U11
2832 Points +32%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
465 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
464 Points 0%
Nokia 6
296 Points -36%
Lenovo Moto G5
296 Points -36%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
816 Points +75%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
461 Points -1%
Huawei P10 Lite
396 Points -15%
HTC U11
3590 Points +672%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
380 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
379 Points 0%
Nokia 6
243 Points -36%
Lenovo Moto G5
243 Points -36%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
710 Points +87%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
382 Points +1%
Huawei P10 Lite
326 Points -14%
HTC U11
3883 Points +922%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
2179 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro
2132 Points -2%
Nokia 6
1225 Points -44%
Lenovo Moto G5
1245 Points -43%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
1713 Points -21%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
1636 Points -25%
Huawei P10 Lite
1592 Points -27%
HTC U11
2841 Points +30%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
22 fps
BQ Aquaris X Pro
22 fps 0%
Nokia 6
16 fps -27%
Lenovo Moto G5
14 fps -36%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
33 fps +50%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
23 fps +5%
Huawei P10 Lite
18 fps -18%
HTC U11
58 fps +164%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
23 fps
BQ Aquaris X Pro
23 fps 0%
Nokia 6
16 fps -30%
Lenovo Moto G5
16 fps -30%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
34 fps +48%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
23 fps 0%
Huawei P10 Lite
17 fps -26%
HTC U11
91 fps +296%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
9.7 fps
BQ Aquaris X Pro
9.6 fps -1%
Nokia 6
7 fps -28%
Lenovo Moto G5
7.4 fps -24%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
15 fps +55%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
10 fps +3%
Huawei P10 Lite
7.7 fps -21%
HTC U11
29 fps +199%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
9.8 fps
BQ Aquaris X Pro
9.8 fps 0%
Nokia 6
7.1 fps -28%
Lenovo Moto G5
7.1 fps -28%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
15 fps +53%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
10 fps +2%
Huawei P10 Lite
7.2 fps -27%
HTC U11
51 fps +420%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
6.3 fps
BQ Aquaris X Pro
6.3 fps 0%
Nokia 6
4.5 fps -29%
Lenovo Moto G5
5 fps -21%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
9 fps +43%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
6.7 fps +6%
Huawei P10 Lite
4.8 fps -24%
HTC U11
15 fps +138%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
6.4 fps
BQ Aquaris X Pro
6.4 fps 0%
Nokia 6
4.6 fps -28%
Lenovo Moto G5
4.6 fps -28%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
9.1 fps +42%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
6.2 fps -3%
Huawei P10 Lite
4.2 fps -34%
HTC U11
33 fps +416%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
3.5 fps
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3.5 fps 0%
Nokia 6
2.5 fps -29%
Lenovo Moto G5
2.7 fps -23%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
5.2 fps +49%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
3.7 fps +6%
Huawei P10 Lite
3 fps -14%
HTC U11
13 fps +271%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
BQ Aquaris X
3.5 fps
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3.5 fps 0%
Nokia 6
2.5 fps -29%
Lenovo Moto G5
2.5 fps -29%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
5.2 fps +49%
Lenovo Moto Z Play
3.4 fps -3%
Huawei P10 Lite
2.8 fps -20%
HTC U11
24 fps +586%

Legend

 
BQ Aquaris X Qualcomm Snapdragon 626, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
BQ Aquaris X Pro Qualcomm Snapdragon 626, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia 6 Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Qualcomm Adreno 505, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo Moto G5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Qualcomm Adreno 505, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 Samsung Exynos 7880, ARM Mali-T830 MP3, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Lenovo Moto Z Play Qualcomm Snapdragon 625, Qualcomm Adreno 506, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P10 Lite HiSilicon Kirin 658, ARM Mali-T830 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC U11 Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

The browser speed is also good. However, the Aquaris X cannot keep up with its competition this time: The Huawei P10 Lite, Lenovo Moto Z Play and Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 all beat our test unit.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
HTC U11 (Chrome 58)
69.5 Points +156%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
32.22 Points +19%
Lenovo Moto Z Play (Chrome 53)
31.8 Points +17%
Huawei P10 Lite (Chrome 55.0.2883.91)
30.05 Points +11%
BQ Aquaris X (Chrome Version 60)
27.1 Points
BQ Aquaris X Pro (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
26.84 Points -1%
Lenovo Moto G5 (Chrome 57)
20.36 Points -25%
Nokia 6 (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
17.56 Points -35%
Octane V2 - Total Score
HTC U11 (Chrome 58)
11781 Points +146%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
5256 Points +10%
Lenovo Moto Z Play (Chrome 53)
4979 Points +4%
BQ Aquaris X (Chrome Version 60)
4786 Points
Huawei P10 Lite (Chrome 55.0.2883.91)
4589 Points -4%
BQ Aquaris X Pro (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
4424 Points -8%
Nokia 6 (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
2899 Points -39%
Lenovo Moto G5 (Chrome 57)
2604 Points -46%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Nokia 6 (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
12062 ms * -37%
Lenovo Moto G5 (Chrome 57)
11358 ms * -29%
BQ Aquaris X (Chrome Version 60)
8825 ms *
BQ Aquaris X Pro (Chrome 59.0.3071.125)
8742 ms * +1%
Huawei P10 Lite (Chrome 55.0.2883.91)
8591 ms * +3%
Lenovo Moto Z Play (Chrome 53)
8169 ms * +7%
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 (Samsung Browser (Chrome 44))
6442 ms * +27%
HTC U11 (Chrome 58)
2760 ms * +69%

* ... smaller is better

The speed of the flash storage is average for a mid-range smartphone. It can keep up with the eMMC competition in the AndroBench 5 test, but it comes nowhere near UFS access rates.

The integrated microSD card slot is good for this price range. We measured its transfer rates with our reference card, the Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 (max read rate: 270 MB/s, max write rate: 150 MB/s) and got comparatively good results: 84 MB/s (read), 63 MB/s (write).

BQ Aquaris XBQ Aquaris X ProNokia 6Lenovo Moto G5Samsung Galaxy A5 2017Lenovo Moto Z PlayHuawei P10 LiteHTC U11
AndroBench 3-5
11%
-3%
26%
-15%
42%
24%
170%
Sequential Read 256KB
266.4
270.5
2%
273.1
3%
230.6
-13%
182
-32%
254.8
-4%
264.3
-1%
717
169%
Sequential Write 256KB
75.3
139.6
85%
77.1
2%
45.6
-39%
77.1
2%
73.1
-3%
129.2
72%
206.4
174%
Random Read 4KB
37.47
37.97
1%
33.8
-10%
37.6
0%
22.41
-40%
38.78
3%
72.5
93%
91.4
144%
Random Write 4KB
11.85
12.07
2%
11.34
-4%
37.9
220%
12.13
2%
45.58
285%
19.36
63%
80
575%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
84.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
78.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-7%
84.6
0%
78.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-7%
73.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-13%
74.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-12%
53.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-37%
68.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-18%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
62.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
49.77 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-20%
56.6
-10%
58 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-7%
56 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-11%
50.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-19%
32.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-48%
46.25 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-26%

Games

The Adreno 506 graphics card integrated in the SoC clocks at up to 650 MHz. Current games from the Android PlayStore such as "Asphalt Xtreme" or "Dead Trigger" are no problem for the GPU. The graphics unit displayed the games at 30 fps and over, even with high details, in our test with the sister version Aquaris X Pro.

The touchscreen responded precisely during gameplay and the sensors worked well too.

Asphalt Xtreme
Dead Tigger 2

Emissions

Temperature

The BQ smartphone hardly heats up while idling although we measured an irregular temperature distribution with a maximum of 35 °C (~95 °F) on the back. The heat distribution under load is still very varied, but not a lot warmer at just over 36 C (~97 °F).

Max. Load
 36.6 °C
98 F
35.4 °C
96 F
36.4 °C
98 F
 
 36.2 °C
97 F
35.6 °C
96 F
38.7 °C
102 F
 
 35.3 °C
96 F
35.4 °C
96 F
36.7 °C
98 F
 
Maximum: 38.7 °C = 102 F
Average: 36.3 °C = 97 F
32.1 °C
90 F
32.6 °C
91 F
35.3 °C
96 F
32.3 °C
90 F
32.6 °C
91 F
36.3 °C
97 F
32.5 °C
91 F
33 °C
91 F
34.9 °C
95 F
Maximum: 36.3 °C = 97 F
Average: 33.5 °C = 92 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.3 °C = 85 F | Room Temperature 21.5 °C = 71 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.3 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 38.7 °C / 102 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.3 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(±) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 33.7 °C / 93 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

speaker test: Pink Noise

The speaker of the Aquarius X is positioned at the bottom of the device. It produced a maximum volume of 86 dB(A) in our test and had decent sound quality. Even at full volume, the sound did not seem particularly distorted, but, as was to be expected, the highs were quite strong. The Pink Noise diagram shows that lower frequencies are hardly audible. Overall, the distribution of mids and highs is not very linear.

In order to get a good sound with more bass out of the phone, you will have to make use of the 3.5 mm audio jack. A headset is not included in the scope of delivery.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2031.638.42525.436.33125.331.54032.925.75033.625.46331.630.28028.426.91002723.812520.823.41602231.420021.339.725020.845.231521.249.840019.454.650019.55863017.760.180017.961100017.866.3125017.369.8160017.470.8200016.772.3250017.273.7315018.274.1400017.975.4500017.680630017.778.3800017.876.41000017.973.21250018.169.21600018.263.5SPL3085.7N1.360.3median 17.9median 66.3Delta1.412.231.641.125.44025.336.732.93633.635.631.630.628.432.92733.820.841.72244.421.348.420.850.521.256.619.462.519.566.217.766.117.974.217.877.317.374.317.473.816.771.817.269.318.269.517.966.517.661.417.755.817.854.517.959.918.152.218.249.530831.350.1median 17.9median 61.41.410.531.634.925.436.225.331.132.928.533.633.431.631.128.423.82724.820.829.62234.621.342.220.847.621.251.919.45619.557.917.759.717.962.517.864.817.366.117.467.516.77417.274.218.271.117.977.917.681.417.778.317.875.317.97318.170.518.263.73086.11.360median 17.9median 64.81.411hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseBQ Aquaris XSamsung Galaxy A5 2017BQ Aquaris X Pro
BQ Aquaris X audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.7% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (5.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 9.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 65% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 29% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 80% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 16% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Samsung Galaxy A5 2017 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 9.4% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 47% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 45% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 66% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 27% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

BQ Aquaris X Pro audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (86.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.4% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (10% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.5% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 11.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 60% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 76% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (check boxes can be turned on/off!)

Battery Runtime

Power Consumption

The power consumption is very high while idling and the BQ smartphone also consumes significantly more power than most of its competitors under load.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.12 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.12 / 2.16 / 2.18 Watt
Load midlight 2.94 / 5.1 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
BQ Aquaris X
3100 mAh
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3100 mAh
Nokia 6
3000 mAh
Lenovo Moto G5
2800 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
3000 mAh
Lenovo Moto Z Play
3510 mAh
Huawei P10 Lite
3000 mAh
HTC U11
3000 mAh
Power Consumption
1%
8%
9%
32%
48%
13%
-10%
Idle Minimum *
1.12
0.67
40%
0.63
44%
0.73
35%
0.64
43%
0.51
54%
0.38
66%
0.73
35%
Idle Average *
2.16
1.7
21%
1.75
19%
1.64
24%
1.36
37%
0.87
60%
1.87
13%
1.96
9%
Idle Maximum *
2.18
1.78
18%
1.87
14%
1.68
23%
1.4
36%
0.9
59%
1.92
12%
1.98
9%
Load Average *
2.94
4.42
-50%
3.56
-21%
3.46
-18%
2.53
14%
1.69
43%
3.82
-30%
4.82
-64%
Load Maximum *
5.1
6.3
-24%
5.85
-15%
6.13
-20%
3.63
29%
4
22%
4.9
4%
7.15
-40%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Runtime

The Aquaris X managed to run for 9 hours and 52 minutes during our realistic Wi-Fi test (display brightness set to 150 cd/m²), which is a good result, but just below average among our comparison devices.

Thanks to Quick Charge 3.0, the battery was fully recharged within about 2 hours.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
9h 52min
BQ Aquaris X
3100 mAh
BQ Aquaris X Pro
3100 mAh
Nokia 6
3000 mAh
Lenovo Moto G5
2800 mAh
Samsung Galaxy A5 2017
3000 mAh
Lenovo Moto Z Play
3510 mAh
Huawei P10 Lite
3000 mAh
HTC U11
3000 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
592
730
23%
670
13%
561
-5%
843
42%
824
39%
665
12%
560
-5%

Pros

+ very bright IPS panel
+ precise GPS module
+ compact build
+ fast Wi-Fi module
+ good camera
+ Stock Android

Cons

- high black value
- back cover made of plastic
- no backlight for navigation keys below display
- mono speakers

Verdict

Review: BQ Aquaris X. Test unit provided by BQ Germany

We were not able to find a lot of weaknesses in the BQ Aquaris X - rather the opposite: The Spanish mid-range smartphone offers an interesting profile of strong points and weaknesses for this price range. Even the Pro version - available for 100€ (~$117) more -  cannot compete with our test unit in the areas of display brightness, color accuracy and color temperature. The lower transfer rates in our Wi-Fi test might have been fixed via a software update by now.

The mid-range Aquaris X is definitely not a bad choice for friends of Android Vanilla.

We really liked the very bright IPS display of the BQ Aquaris X, as well as the fast Wi-Fi module, the precise GPS positioning, good camera quality with numerous settings and the possibility to use two SIM cards simultaneously. In addition, the manufacturer has resisted making too many additions to the software and has not added any bloatware.

The quality of the plastic back cover could have been a little better and a device with a recommended retail price of 300€ (~$352) should have backlit navigation keys below the display.

BQ Aquaris X - 09/27/2017 v6(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
86%
Keyboard
69 / 75 → 92%
Pointing Device
90%
Connectivity
47 / 60 → 79%
Weight
92%
Battery
92%
Display
85%
Games Performance
28 / 63 → 44%
Application Performance
51 / 70 → 73%
Temperature
89%
Noise
100%
Audio
65 / 91 → 71%
Camera
72%
Average
74%
84%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Marcus Herbrich, 2017-10- 3 (Update: 2019-04- 1)